Collecting art in Vietnam: hidden from view Art communities everywhere have big expectations and look forward to collecting art. However, in Vietnam collecting has faced obstacles due to the lack of a local market as well as confidence in the art world. The owner of Thanh Uy fine art collection, which specializes in Vietnamese printmaking and sculptural works, talks to us about the issue. This is the first time collector Thanh Uy has officially introduced his collection.   (Thanh Uy Collection) Nguyet Nga, “The landscape of Hoa Binh”, color wood print, 40x50 cm, 1975  Q. Can you tell us the reason why you decided to collect art in Vietnam and specialize in printed works? I love the arts and always want to learn and discover what is expressed through each art work. I collect art and of course I want to collect art from Vietnam because it’s from our country, so it’s easier to feel and understand. I live here so I have many chances to meet and make contact directly with artists to be able to collect their work. About the collecting of printmaking works, including prints and original woodblocks, as well as other print works, I have three main reasons. First, I feel intuitively that this kind of artwork is quite suitable for me. I cannot explain further the reason (laughing). Secondly, print works are reasonably priced, which suits my financial ability. Thirdly, as far as I know, there is no one in Vietnam specializing in collecting print works at the moment. Q. So I understand that a budget was an important factor for you to consider before starting this collection. What are some basic criteria for evaluation of an artwork for your collection? Normally the buyer has to base on the market price, but the local art market in Vietnam doesn’t exist yet, so I only have two basic criteria, which are based on the most recent price at the Fine Arts Museum at the time that I was buying, and at the same time I agree on the price directly with the artists. Q. I feel that the criteria of working “directly with the artists” can sometimes be confusing, for example, how can you come to an agreement when the normal psychology is that the buyer wants to pay less and the seller wants to get more. In the process of buying an art work, it requires a certain sensitivity and subtlety in bidding for the works. I am very curious – have you ever got into any troublesome situation like that? If so, how can you escape it?   (Thanh Uy Collection) Le Huy Tiep, “Dry squids and money notes”, mono print, 65x80 cm, 2004 This kind of question actually is troublesome for me! The pricing of a painting directly with an artist is always a very sensitive matter because I could hurt the artist’s pride or they will doubt my knowledge. I must say this kind of work makes me most confused and hesitant, but it is one of the most important parts of the collecting process. Have I ever gotten in any situations like that? Of course! But luckily, it only ended at the level of my own personal feelings and there have been no such conflicts with artists at all. I have experienced certain things in life so that I know how to continue the story with the artist. There are some cases, in order to meet the artist I have to spend lots of time persuading and waiting for them to see my sincerity. Then again, it takes many stories to finally come to a specific discussion about some art pieces that I want to purchase… It’s easy to understand because most of the time, the artist didn’t know who I was, or what I was like, and they are normally famous artists. Q. Are there any other factors that created confusion or tension in collecting work? There are two more factors. First, when I first began to collect I didn’t know where to start and how to proceed with the work. I didn’t know who to ask or where to find information. There was no one to share and give guidance in the beginning; sometimes I felt that I was a road detector. Then the time factor sometimes gave me headaches because I felt like I was consumed by my own collecting and learning process and at times forgot that I had to do many other things to secure myself financially to continue collecting works. That’s how it goes! Q. How many artworks are there in your collection?   (Thanh Uy Collection) Tran Nguyen Dan, “Nhi Khe Village”, wood print, 42x185 cm, 1979.  Approximately 1,200 artworks including prints, gouache drawings and sculptures from 60 Vietnamese artists and sculptors. I try to choose representative works of each artist from different periods of Vietnamese art as well as techniques and artistic styles. Q. What are your thoughts on the exchange between different collections and have you ever had the intention to exchange? This is a very good idea but really difficult to implement. I have never done that before, despite my wish. Like other commodities, the work exchange can only happen when there’s a market, which publicly announces the price as we’ve just discussed. The market doesn’t exist in Vietnam yet. On the other hand, the number of people selling and buying paintings is big, but collecting systematically is still very rare. The tastes and types are quite varied, so there’s no mutual voice to share the experience as well as exchange art. Previously, I sometimes shared my collecting work with Le Thai Son and also learned from him. Sadly he passed away two years ago. At the moment, the selling and buying of artworks are still done silently, and are not so public; therefore, private collectors don’t know each other and there’s no chance to meet and share experiences. Q. What is your family’s reaction to your collecting work? Don’t they think that you are “throwing money out the window”? People often wonder why I don’t know how to paint but I know many artists. I work on this quite independently and my family has almost nothing to do with it. I try to arrange the work so that it won’t interfere with my family. Q. What is your hope for this collection? I hope in the near future I can organize thematic exhibitions of the collections, publish books for each exhibition and finally have a space to showcase those works frequently so that the audience can come to enjoy and learn more. I believe there are more and more people loving and wanting to learn more about Vietnamese art. Thank you very much! Phong Van, VNN Hanoigrapevines